Neil Baker has a history of finding future stars from non-league football

Crewe manager Dario Gradi has praised the contribution of Neil Baker to the club's success in unearthing talent from non-league in the past decade.

"Neil's a proper football man, he just loves football," Gradi told BBC Radio Stoke. "People say I'm a football man, but I'm not a football man like he is.

"I don't want to be going out in the evenings watching non-league football with 50 spectators, but he does.

"He's made a great contribution to our success over the years."

Baker has worked as an assistant manager, coach and scout during his time with the League Two club, having previously managed non-league Leek Town.

The likes of Luke Varney, Tom Pope, Joel Grant, John Brayford and Carl Martin have all been taken from non-league clubs and gone on to make first-team appearances for Crewe.

His latest discovery from outside the Football League is young Flixton striker Danny Gardner, who signed a contract with the Alex until the end of the season on Monday.

"I wouldn't have signed him if I didn't think he had a chance of being taken on next season," said Gradi, 68.

"It's not an overnight thing with a player like him because he's come from nowhere and he hasn't got a record for us to look at."

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